BILL NUMBER:  S934A

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the public health law, in relation
to designating certain substances as schedule I opiates

 PURPOSE :

This bill adds new derivatives of fentanyl to the controlled substance
schedule.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section one of the bill adds three new fentanyl derivatives to
Schedule I, bringing New York's schedule in line with the temporary
Federal Schedule.

Section two is the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Fentanyl is a strong pain medication, that when administered in a
medical setting, is often combined with anesthesia to prevent surgery
related pain. When improperly used, the effects of fentanyl can lead
to serious or life threatening respiratory problems.

It has been reported that fentanyl has a similar euphoric effect to
              

morphine and heroin. However, according to the New York Times,
fentanyl is 100 times as powerful as morphine and much deadlier than
heroine since it requires more naloxone (a drug used to reverse the
effects of an opiate overdose).

The prevalence of fentanyl abuse has been on the rise. Due to the fact
that fentanyl is cheaper than heroin, drug dealers have been mixing
fentanyl with heroin in order to produce a cheaper product, which far
too often results in a lethal combination.

In 2015, the Drug Enforcement Administration submitted a nationwide
alert about fentanyl-laced heroin and reported that the number of
fentanyl-related cases increased from 942 in 2013, to 3,344 in 2014.
The CDC estimated a 135% increase in Fentanyl overdoses in New York
from 2014-2015. The Onondoga County Health Department reported that
one-third of heroin overdose deaths in 2015 involved the presence of
fentanyl. Nationwide, over the past five years, the rate of deaths
from drug overdoses has increased by 33%. Last year there were over
52,000 overdose deaths. That means that there were 15,000 more deaths
attributed to overdose than those killed in car crashes or gun related
incidents.  By adding additional fentanyl derivatives to the
controlled substance schedule, we can deter criminal behavior and help
save lives.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

S6944- Referred to Health

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to the State.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect 90 days after enactment.